Mai looked out over the rebel base’s ramparts. Explosions could be seen in different parts of the city, the light flashing across before being replaced with another. Thunder rolled across the city as the sonic boom of the explosions rolled in after the light.

“Things are pretty damned hot out there right now,” Chan whispered as another explosion rocked the city. “Looks like the attacks on the powerplants succeeded for both gangs, you can see where their power has gone.”

Mai looked where he pointed. It wasn’t hard to make out, whole swatches of the city were now completely covered in darkness.

“That reminds me, do we have a merchant in the city providing blueprints for portable power generators?”

“That’ll be Won Fe over on Duke Street,” said the guard she’d spoken to earlier. His name was Gibbs, and he’d proven to be trustworthy, so she didn't mind the fact that he was listening in to her conversation. “Ornery old bugger. But likes rice wine. A lot.”

“Let me guess, he used to get the players going out and getting it for him?”

“Yeah,” Gibbs nodded. “Not sure if any of the locals are getting for him though. He’s actually nicer when he’s not pickled. The Emperor knows how his liver stands up to that sort of punishment.”

“Okay, send some people. Buy up all his stock and give him more rice wine than he can possibly drink in a lifetime. I’m serious. But one condition. He’s not allowed to make any more generators.”

“Won’t they be able to build their own?” Gibbs’ brow furrowed.

“Not if they’ve had a nice and easy source nearby which means they don’t have to spend nanites. UC are much easier to come across.”

Gibbs nodded, said he’d get right on it and left.

“When did you become commander of the rebels?” Jock asked half seriously, half-jokingly.

“When I showed them that life could be better for everyone, I think.” She felt guilty for keeping the secret, but knowing how it had affected her, she didn’t want to tell any of her friends until she truly had to.

“Hey, nothing against it, you’re better looking than Yen Ching anyway,” he nudged her with his elbow to show he was joking.

“Much better looking is what I think you’re trying to say,” she laughed.

“Hey, what’s that?” smile gone, Jock pointed to a group of people approaching the gate.

“Don’t know. Looks like a mix of people. They can’t be here for missions, we made it clear we don’t have any more just yet.”

They stood in silence as the group approached. Mai counted at least ten. And it was a strange group indeed. Although they moved together, Mai could clearly see that the people in the group were keeping their distance from each other as much as they could without making it too obvious.

“Ghosts, gangers, prisoners, urbexers, military,” Jock pointed to each group as he spoke. “What the hells are they doing?”

“Let’s see,” Mai replied as a woman stepped forward, the rest of the group seemingly halting at an unspoken signal.

Players, bastards, she looked at each member of the group, every one of them was a player.

“Halt! What do you want?” called a guard, the wall turrets swivelling down to aim at the woman.

“We want to join the rebel faction, if you’ll take us.” The woman was well-muscled and carried herself with a confidence Mai wished she had. It was clear what had made the woman the group’s leader.

Mai was conscious of the fact that all of the guards had turned to look at her.

“Why?” she called, keeping herself partially hidden behind the wall. The bounty on her had been cancelled, for reasons she didn’t understand, but she had made plenty of enemies that someone might risk trying to kill her.

“Our factions can’t offer what we need. We don’t want to be part of that,” the woman jerked her thumb over her shoulder as another explosion rocked the city, the sound quickly followed by the rattle of gunfire.

I’ll bet you bloody don’t. Bunch of cowards don’t want to go up against other players if there’s a risk they’ll “die”.

It wasn’t as if the rebels didn’t already have players. Granted the highest ranked ones were on the ruling council, but there were a number of officers and the odd low-ranking player who had joined for the easy life.

Casuals, she thought with a jolt. The rebel faction was known for not doing much. So any of the low-ranking players were the sort who didn’t have much time for playing, or who didn’t take things too seriously. And that attitude only served to keep the rebels maintaining the status quo.

“And what can you offer us?” Mai stepped out into full view, ignoring the murmurs as the players recognised who she was. As she looked more closely at the group she realised that they were all low-level. Unable to fend for themselves, and likely to be the first to die in the sort of fighting that was rocking the city.

“Numbers, there’s a round dozen of us. We’re all hard workers and keen to improve.”

Mai commed Yen Ching and apprised him of the details.

“Let them in, the more the merrier, I’m sure we can slot them in somewhere. Especially now that we’ve increased our control points. We were planning on expanding into the street you were ambushed in, which will give us a better chance to build more barracks.”

Mai signed off and signalled to the guards to let the players through. As they filed in, she made her way to the ground, then called them over to her.

“I’ve got some basic missions. You’ll need to complete them before you’re even considered to be recruits within the rebels. Once you’ve completed the recruit missions, you’ll be considered to be soldiers. From there, you’ll then get more missions and some of you might even rise to being officers.”

“Oh, I’m sure we will,” smirked the woman. Mai decided there and then that she didn’t like her. It wasn’t confidence, it was arrogance. But she played the good NPC and assigned the missions to the players.

“I don’t trust them any further than I can throw them,” Jock joined her in watching them trot off to complete the missions.

“Nor do, nor do I.”

Mai hoped that she’d done the right thing, but there was an itch between her shoulders which made her doubt it.

“Those new recruits are ploughing through the training,” Dakota said as they watched the people in question racing around an assault course. It was a hologrammic, created in a building that Mai had added once she expanded the base. Previously the rebels had been forced to run around the city, which had caused friction with the locals.,

“This is their last test before they become soldiers,” Mai replied. “And they’ve only been here for two days.”

Two game days, wonder how long that actually is for the players, do they operate on a different time zone?

“What have they got next?” she asked her friend.

“Well, we could only issue joining missions. Any rebel can. We avoided the training because we joined a cell in the Upper City, but down here things are still very much modelled on the army. So once they make the rank of soldier, only the NCOs and officers can give them lessons.”

And most of those are also players, Mai thought bitterly. Very few NPCs were above the rank of soldier, and those few that were had held their rank for longer than they could remember.

“Keep your ear to the ground, have our people keep an eye on them, I’m getting twitchy,” she warned her friend.

“I’m well ahead of you there. I’ve even split them up and assigned them bunks amongst the people we can trust.”

“Mai Xiao, the famous culler-turned rebel,” Mai looked up as the woman who had led the group of new recruits took a seat across from her without asking if she minded.

“I didn’t get your name,” Mai said. As always, etiquette demanded that people introduce themselves before you used their name. Despite being unable to see it clearly. Another aspect of her life which now made sense. And which she hated.

“Maggi Becker. Actually, it’s Corporal Maggi Becker now,” Maggi Becker held her hand out and Mai took it, shaking it gently. She wasn’t about to get into a powerplay over handshakes.

“Corporal, I didn’t notice, congratulations on your speedy progress,” Mai kept her tone polite, kicking herself not noticing the red collar on the woman’s uniform. All ranks were indicated by colour. A plain uniform was a recruit. White was soldier, red was corporal, yellow sergeant, yellow and red was sergeant major, black was lieutenant, half black half white was captain, half yellow half red was major, half red, half white was colonel and finally, imperial purple was colonel. All of the rebel council were colonels

“Well, not as if the missions are that hard, and command seems to be keen to have us newbies progressing through the ranks. To be expected really.”

Mai ground her teeth at that. Of course it was to be expected, the players in the rebel faction wanted the new players to progress quickly, make the faction stronger.

And if Yen Ching has anything to do with it, he’ll be trying to load the base against my popularity.

“How can I help you today Corporal?”

“I was wondering if you had any missions I could do? I’m a rebel now after all.”

Mai returned the woman’s feral smile with a lazy one of her own.

“My, you are keen. Good to see. Yes, I’ve got a mission for you and all of your people.”

She pushed the PROTECT NETHER CITY FROM ALL THREATS mission over to Maggi Becker.

“Is that it?” Maggi Becker sneered as she accepted YES. Like Mai knew she would.

“Not as easy as it sounds. We’ve got people out there making sure that the other factions aren’t killing innocent civilians. You can join them in keeping the fighting contained. If you’re not too busy with ranking up that is?”

Maggi Becker snarled, clearly biting down on what she truly wanted to say as she shook her head. Mai’s stomach twisted at the hostility and disrespect the woman was showing her. She racked her brains to try and discern why the woman would be so hostile. Nothing sprang to mind.

“No, it’s fine. Thank you for giving me this mission. I’ll send the others over to you if that’s okay. They can accept the mission and then we’ll head out and see if we can’t help keep things calm. Once we’ve completed our other missions that is.”

And there it is, I’ve just given you a mission which will send you straight back out into exactly what you were trying to avoid. She had them pegged. They weren’t interested in helping the rebel faction at all, merely building up their own power base.

She watched as Maggi Becker went and spoke to her people, calling them all into a huddle. Scowling, Mai saw that none of them were soldier ranks, all of them being corporals.

Yen Ching needs to watch his back. I have a feeling those bastards are going to make a move damned soon.